Rhyming Animals

RHYMING ANIMALS

RHYMING ANIMALS

Learning Description

Students will learn about rhyming families by creating “cut-outs” of animals inspired by the artist, Henri Matisse, combined with a rhyming word.

 

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: K-1
CONTENT FOCUS: VISUAL ARTS & ELA
LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

  • I can create rhymes using Matisse-inspired cut-outs.

Essential Questions

  • How can I create a rhyme using Matisse-inspired cut-outs?

 

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

ELAGSEKRF2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

ELAGSEKSL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

ELAGSEKSL4 Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.

Grade1:  

ELAGSE1RF2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

ELAGSE1SL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

ELAGSE1SL4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

Arts Standards

Kindergarten & Grade 1:

VAK.CR.1 Engage in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas by using subject matter and symbols to communicate meaning.

VAK&1.CR.2 Create works of art based on selected themes.

VAK&1.CR.3 Understand and apply media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional art.

VAK&1.RE.1 Discuss personal works of art and the artwork of others to enhance visual literacy. 

VAK&1.CN.3 Develop life skills through the study and production of art (e.g. collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication).

 

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Kindergarten:

K.I.1.1 Engage in daily opportunities for play and exploration to foster a sense of curiosity, develop the disposition of inquisitiveness, and begin to verbally articulate “I wonders” about ideas of interest.

K.RL.2.1 Recognize and produce rhyming words

K.C.MC.1.1 Explore and create meaning through play, conversation, drama, and storytelling.

K.C.MC.3.2 Use appropriate props, images, or illustrations to support verbal communication.

Grade 1:  

1.I.1.1 Translate “wonderings” into questions that lead to group conversations, explorations, and investigations.

1.RL.9.1 Identify the literary devices of rhythm, repetitive language, and simile and sound devices of rhyme, onomatopoeia, and alliteration; explain how the author uses each. 

1.C.MC.1.1 Explore and create meaning through conversation, drama, questioning, and story-telling. 

1.C.MC.3.1 Explore and compare how ideas and topics are depicted in a variety of media and formats.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.

Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.

Anchor Standard 3: I can improve and complete artistic work using elements and principles.

Anchor Standard 4: I can organize work for presentation and documentation to reflect specific content, ideas, skills, and or media.

 

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Rhyme – Words that have the same middle sound.

Arts Vocabulary

Geometric shape – One of the seven elements of art; a two-dimensional object such as a square, triangle, or circle.

Cut-outs/collage - An image created using a combination of pieces of paper or images.

 

Materials

  • Construction paper
  • Glue sticks
  • A variety of geometric shapes such as circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles

 

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

  • Show students an image of Henri Matisse’s, The Horse, the Rider, and the Clown. Ask students to find things that they recognize in this image (colors, shapes, etc.).
  • Tell students that they will be learning about how the artist, Henri Matisse, created this artwork using paper and scissors.
  • Explain to students that there are different kinds of shapes in art:  geometric, organic, and free-form. Show students the different types of shapes.
  • Ask students to practice creating geometric shapes using their hands or arms.
  • Ask students to identify the types of shapes in Matisse’s, The Horse, the Rider, and the Clown.

 

Work Session

  • Explain that the artist, Henri Matisse, created images by cutting out pieces of paper and putting them together to make images. 
  • Show students several examples of Matisse’s cut-outs.
  • Show students Matisse’s, The Snail, as an example. Ask students if they can see the snail in the image.
  • Tell students that they will be creating cut-outs like Matisse that combine an animal with a rhyming word.
  • Go over a family of words that rhyme with an animal such as a cat, dog, frog, etc.
  • Show students how to use geometric shapes to create an animal. 
  • Ask students to combine the animal with a word that it rhymes with to create a cut-out like Matisse.

Closing Reflection

  • Ask students to write the two words that they showed in their artwork (i.e. cat and hat) in a complete sentence with correct grammar, such as “The cat wears a hat.” 
  • Students will conduct a gallery walk to see each other’s artwork and see the different words that their animal rhymes with.

 

Assessments

Formative

  • Student discussion of rhyming families
  • Student identification of a word that rhymes with the given animal

 

Summative

  • Student “cut-outs” of animal and word that it rhymes with - student artwork should demonstrate that students understand that some words have the same median sounds.

 

Differentiation

Acceleration: Students should come up with their own animal and a word that it rhymes with instead of the provided animal and words that it rhymes with to create their artwork.

Remediation: Provide students with the animal and the word that it rhymes with; after students have created this artwork, ask them to identify another word that rhymes with the animal and the word it rhymes with. Ask students to add this word to their artwork.

 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Rhyming Animals presentation 

Types of Shapes handout

Optional supporting text: Henri’s Scissors by Jeanette Winter

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

 Ideas contributed by:  Katy Betts

 Revised and copyright:  September 2023 @ ArtsNOW

Grade K:
Day and Night

DAY AND NIGHT

Grade K: Day and Night

Unit Description

This Kindergarten Unit uses art to address the differences between the day and night sky and the observable changes in the sky over a 24 hour period. In Project 1 students will be creating a stop motion video illustrating the changes in the day and night sky over time. In Project 2 students will analyze and interpret music compositions to represent daytime and nighttime. In Project 3 students will create dramatic scenes that depict activities during the day or night. The goal of this unit is for students to approach learning using various art forms as they explore the day and night sky and the changes that occur over time.

Unit Essential Question

How can I observe the changes of the sky over time?
How can I identify the differences between the day and night sky?
Why is important for me to know the changes between the day and night sky?
How do the changes in the sky occur during daytime and night time?

Real World Context

It is important for students to have an understanding of why the sky changes during the day and night.

Cross-Cutting Interdisciplinary Concepts

Changes over time
Patterns

Projects

Project 1: Day and Night Stop Motion
In this project, students will use media arts to create a stop motion video based on the changes over time in the day and night sky. Students will work with an older grade level (suggested 2nd grade because of similarities in science standards) to create background illustrations and settings for their video. Students will illustrate a storyboard using 3D modeling clay to sequence the changes from day to night sky and night to day sky. Both grade levels will work together to create a script for each section of the storyboard to use while producing the stop motion film. Students will use peer editing to support one another in the writing process. After creating the stop motion film, students will present their projects for others to view.

Project 2: Music and Movement
In this project students use music and movement to explore day and night. Students will begin by comparing and contrasting four very different styles of music. Students will apply their understanding of music vocabulary to express what they hear in the musical piece. As a class, the students will choose which pieces best represent daytime and which pieces best represent nighttime. Once each label has been placed on the musical choices, in groups, students will begin to interpret the music using dance movements. Students should be able to explain their movement choice based on movement in the day and night time.

Project 3: My Day Drama
In this project, students will write and perform a dramatization of day and night. Students will explore drama strategies such as tableau, pantomime and movement. Students will integrate both writing and the digital arts into their project. Classroom performances will take place and higher order thinking skills such as comparing and contrasting will be focal during this project. These activities also have the option to be recorded with Green Screen by Do Ink and put together in iMovie, Movie Maker or Photostory.

Project Essential Questions

PROJECT 1:
How can I use technology to represent the observable changes in the day and night sky?

PROJECT 2:
How can I use the performing arts to compare and contrast the daytime sky with the nighttime sky? How can music and movement be used to explore activity in the daytime and nighttime?

PROJECT 3:
How can I use drama strategies to dramatize daytime activities and nighttime activities?
What conclusions can we draw from our observations of the day and night sky?

Standards

Curriculum Standards

SKE1 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate observations about time patterns (day to night and night to day) and objects (sun, moon, stars) in the day and night sky.

  1. Ask questions to classify objects according to those seen in the day sky, the night sky, and both.
  2. Develop a model to communicate the changes that occur in the sky during the day, as day turns into night, during the night, and as night turns into day using pictures and words.

ELAGSEKW3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

ELAGSEKW5 With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

ELAGSEKW6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of tools to produce and publish writing, including digital tools in collaboration with peers.

ELAGSEKSL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

  1. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). b. Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

ELAGSEKSL6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

ELAGSEKL2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  1. Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.

Arts Standards

VAKPR.2 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional works of art using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.

VAKPR.3 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of three-dimensional works of art (e.g., ceramics, sculpture, crafts, and mixed- media) using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.

MA:Cr1.K Discover and share ideas for media artworks using play and experimentation

MA: Cr2.K With guidance, use ideas to form plans or models for media arts productions

MA:Pr5.1.K (a) identify and demonstrate basic skills, such as handling tools, making choices, and cooperating in creating media artworks

MA:Pr5.1.K Practice, discover, and share how media arts creation tools work

MA:Cn11.1.K (b) With guidance, internet safety and appropriately with media arts tools and environments

VA:Cr1.1.Ka Engage in exploration and imaginative play with materials

VA:Cr2.1.Ka Through experimentation, build skills in variations media and approaches to art-making

VA:Cr2.2.Ka (a) identify safe and non-toxic materials, tools, and equipment

VA: Cr2.3.Ka Create art that represents natural and constructed environments

VA:Re.7.2.Ka Describe what an image represents

DA:Cr2.1.K (b) Express an idea, feeling, or image, through improvised movement moving alone or with a partner.

MU:Pr4.2.K (a) With guidance, explore and demonstrate awareness of music contrasts (such as high/low, loud/soft, same/different) in a variety of music selected for performance.

MU:Pr4.3.K (a) With guidance, demonstrate awareness of expressive qualities (such as voice quality, dynamics, and tempo) that support the creators’ expressive intent.

TH:Cr2.K (a) With prompting and support, interact with peers and contribute to dramatic play or a guided drama experience (e.g. process drama, story drama, creative drama).

TH:Cr2.K (b) With prompting and support, express original ideas in dramatic play or a guided drama experience (e.g. process drama, story drama, creative drama).

TH:Re9.1.K (a) With prompting and support, actively engage with others in dramatic play or a guided drama experience (e.g. process drama, story drama, creative drama).

Character Education

Components
Students pair with an older grade level to create a setting for the stop motion video. While paired students will write a script and peer edit their script. Groups will present their projects for others.

Character Attributes Addressed During Unit

  • Cooperation
  • Respect for self and others

Summative Assessments

  • Pre/ Post Test
  • Project 1 Rubric
  • Project 2 Rubric
  • Project 3 Rubric

Partnering with Fine Arts Teachers

Music Teacher:

  • Introduce student to vocabulary

Visual Arts Teacher:

  • Introduce students to a variety of mediums
  • Introduce students to a variety of techniques
  • Introduce vocabulary

Physical Education/Dance Teacher:

  • Introduce levels, motions, and gestures

Appendix (See Project Downloads)

  • Pre/Post-test
  • Project 1 Rubric
  • Project 1 Writing Rubric
  • Project 1 Storyboard
  • Project 1 Script
  • Project 1 Sentence Frame
  • Project 1 Art Images
  • Project 2 Rubric
  • Project 3 Rubric
  • Project 3 Day and Night Backdrops

Credits

U.S. Department of Education
Arts in Education--Model Development and Dissemination Grants Program
Cherokee County (GA) School District and ArtsNow, Inc.
Ideas contributed and edited by:
Chelsea Bailey, Heather Burgess, Silka Simmons, Portia Whitlow, Edited by Jessica Espinoza, Edited by Dr. Carla Cohen

Day & Night Stop Motion

Science, ELA, and Theater

Description

In this project, students will use media arts to create a stop motion video based on the changes over time in the day and night sky. Students will work with an older grade level (suggested 2nd grade because of similarities in science standards) to create background illustrations and settings for their video. Students will illustrate a storyboard using 3D modeling clay to sequence the changes from day to night sky and night to day sky. Both grade levels will work together to create a script for each section of the storyboard to use while producing the stop motion film. Students will use peer editing to support one another in the writing process. After creating the stop motion film, students will present their projects for others to view.

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Distinguish the differences in the day and night sky
  • Illustrate changes in the day and night sky over time
  • Construct a setting to use to display the changes in the day and night sky
  • Create a stop motion film to represent the changes in the day and night sky over time
  • Create a script to express what I have learned about the changes that occur in the day and night sky over time
  • Work collaboratively with my peers to edit my writing

Essential Questions

  • How can I use technology to represent the observable changes in the day and night sky?

Curriculum Standards

SKE1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate observations about time patterns (day to night and night to day) and objects (sun, moon, stars) in the day and night sky.

  1. Develop a model to communicate the changes that occur in the sky during the day, as day turns into night, during the night, and as night turns into day using pictures and words.

ELAGSEKW3: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

ELAGSEKW5: With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

ELAGSEKW6: With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of tools to produce and publish writing, including digital tools in collaboration with peers.

ELAGSEKSL1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

  1. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion). b. Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

ELAGSEKSL6: Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

ELAGSEKL2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  1. Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.

Arts Standards

MA:Cr1.K Discover and share ideas for media artworks using play and experimentation

MA: Cr2.K With guidance, use ideas to form plans or models for media arts productions

MA:Pr5.1.K (a) identify and demonstrate basic skills, such as handling tools, making choices, and cooperating in creating media artworks

MA:Pr5.1.K Practice, discover, and share how media arts creation tools work

MA:Cn11.1.K (b) With guidance, internet safety and appropriately with media arts tools and environments

VA:Cr1.1.Ka Engage in exploration and imaginative play with materials

VA:Cr2.1.Ka Through experimentation, build skills in variations media and approaches to art-making

VA:Cr2.2.Ka (a) identify safe and non-toxic materials, tools, and equipment

VA: Cr2.3.Ka Create art that represents natural and constructed environments

VA:Re.7.2.Ka Describe what an image represents

Content Vocabulary

  • Day
  • Night
  • Change
  • Time
  • 24 hours
  • Time lapse
  • Script
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Storyboard
  • Illustrate

Arts Vocabulary

  • Stop Motion
  • App
  • Camera
  • Medium
  • Collaboration
  • Diction
  • Setting
  • Background
  • Color
  • Media
  • Portion

Technology Integration

  • Stop Motion Studio (app for iPad or Android)
  • Koma Koma (stop motion app for iPad)
  • Seesaw (app used for sharing projects)

Formative Assessment

  • Observation: Did student work collaboratively with others? Did student select appropriate materials? Did student represent objects accurately in the sky? Did students show change over time in accurate sequential order?

Summative Assessment

  • Stop Motion Project
  • Script Writing Rubric (See Download)
  • Stop Motion Rubric (See Download)

Materials

  • iPad Android Tablet
  • Variety of Mediums (clay, paper, paint, crayons, markers, pastels etc.)
  • Variety of literature based on day and night (see additional resources below)

Activating Strategy (5-10 min)

Main Activity

PROCESS: Before starting this project, read several fiction and nonfiction literature which focus on the day and night sky. These stories should focus on things found during day and night as well as focusing on changes throughout the day and night sky. They should help students build a better understanding of day and night and how they are different and change over time.

Part 1:

  • Teacher will display several pieces artwork. Refer to Fine Art Examples of Day/ Night (See Download)
  • Teacher will use the See? Think? Wonder? Artful Thinking Strategy: Ask students what they see in the artwork? Ask students what they think the artist meant by the things we see (make inferences)? Ask students what they wonder about after seeing this piece of art (questions they may have)?
  • Teacher will ask students to access their prior knowledge and explain to us what they notice about the daytime and nighttime sky in the artwork.
  • Teacher can also share a clip from Dinosaur Train “Day/Night”. In this Dinosaur Train clip, Mr. Conductor explains to the kids that the sun rises and sets--and that it gets cold and dark at night--because the earth goes through a full rotation on its axis every day. At night, the earth is tilting away from the sun.

Part 2:

  • Divide students into small groups. Students will work with a partner class (recommend partnering with a 2nd grade classroom) to illustrate a storyboard to represent different times throughout a 24-hour period. Model how we storyboard with whole class. You can do this using a 5-step process as your example. Ex: Drawing out how to assemble and cook a pizza. Use the Day and Night StoryBoarding Sheet (See Download) to model this. Direct Kindergarten students to storyboard the sky at different times throughout the day. Include various items that can be found in the sky at different times throughout the day. The partner class will work with the Kindergarteners to determine what fixed structure they would like to include in the storyboard scene.
  • Each group will be responsible for illustrating and coloring their storyboard.

Part 3:

  • After the storyboard is complete, students will work with their partner class to create a script. Refer to the Day & Night Script Writing Sheet (See Download) for this part of the activity.
  • Kindergarten students will label images on the storyboard and complete sentence frames. If you would like, you can have kindergarteners dictate sentences to the partner class to write or if the kindergarteners are able to write you can have students write their own sentences using the Day & Night Sentence Starters Sheet. (See Download)
  • After writing the script, Kindergarteners will pair up with a student from their partnering class to partner edit the script and provide suggestions.

Part 4:

  • The teacher will provide a variety of mediums for students to choose from to create their backgrounds and settings for their stop motion film or films.
  • Students will create background and settings for their stop motion video. Kindergarteners are responsible for creating items that can be found in the day and night sky while the partner class is responsible for creating a fixed structure to be included in the scene. Both are responsible creating the background sky.

Part 5:

  • Students will create several settings while taking pictures of each movement of an item they created using Stop Motion Studio or Koma Koma.
  • Kindergarten students will be responsible for the movement of the moving elements of the setting.
  • The partner class will be responsible for the fixed structure of the setting and the lighting of the setting.
  • After all images are entered, students will use the app to add the voice recording of their script.

Part 6:

  • After students have completed their Stop Motion Video, they will share their video on Seesaw so the teacher can have access to their video.
  • Each group will then present their project to the class.

Examples of Stop Motion Videos

Classroom Tips:

  • Review how to properly use art materials.
  • Review expectations for working collaboratively with others.
  • Review how to use the technology provided and the importance of internet/app safety.
  • Review dictation and the importance of speaking clearly so they can be understood on video.

Reflection Questions

  • Why did you choose the materials (mediums) you chose to use to depict _____________?
  • How did I represent the background during the dawn? What are some items I chose to represent dawn?
  • How did I represent the background during the day? What are some items I chose to represent day?
  • How did I represent the background during the evening? What are some items I chose to represent evening?
  • How did I represent the background during the night? What are some items I chose to represent night?
  • How did I represent the change over time to show a 24 hour period?

Differentiation

Below Grade Level:

  • Students work with buddies from partner class who will provide peer tutoring and positive role models.
  • Books read aloud and class discussions reflect and build student background knowledge.
  • Provide word bank and visual word wall for labeling images and storyboard.

Above Grade Level: Consider directing your above grade level students to go deeper with both the storyboard and the script. They could illustrate and write in more scenes in their film. Consider also introducing mixed mediums into their scenes such as collaging and integrating photography. (These may also be able to include about earth’s rotation)

EL Students:

  • Preview the key vocabulary with pictures listed beside each word on an anchor chart, word wall, or flashcards:
    • The teacher will point to each picture, and the students pronounce the corresponding word. This may be done in small group the day before the unit begins. The paraprofessional or ESOL teacher may meet with students who are lacking the basic vocabulary for additional practice before starting the unit.
  • When discussing how the sky changed over time:
    • ELP 1: Using gestures, and symbolated sentences (sentences with symbols/pictures above key words) have students repeat the following displayed sentences:
    • “The sky became lighter when the sun came up.”
    • “The sky became darker when the sun went down.”
    • *Ask ESOL teachers if they have BoardMaker software. It has a “symbolate” option to add symbols above sentences as you type. Otherwise, these can simply be drawn on the whiteboard.
    • ELP 5: Allow students to reenact procedural information obtained from videos (e.g., “Show me how to make day and night.”) Source: (Wida Can-Do Key Uses Kindergarten, pg. 6)
  • Use a sentence starter when discussing picture differences:
    • “These pictures are different because ___________.”
  • Creating a storyboard/writing a script with an older partner:
    • Use the “dictate” and “immersive reader” features in OneNote to write the script. This is very helpful for students who are in the pre-writing/reading stages of development:
    • OneNote>LearningTools Add-in>Immersive Reader
    • OneNote>Learning Tools Add-in>Dictate
  • When practicing reading scripts:
    • ELP 2-3 Assist students with creating gestures to accompany their scripts. Students will learn to link the gestures to each simple sentence and picture. This will help to increase comprehension and memorization of the sequence of their stories.

Additional Resources

  • Consider visiting a planetarium
  • Field Trip to Tellus Museum: Day & Night Program (http://tellusmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/SIM-updated-082715.pdf)
  • What Makes Day and Night by Franklyn M. Branley
  • Day and Night by Robin Nelson
  • Day and Night (ebook) by Teddy Newton
  • Little Owl’s Day (ebook) by Divya Srinivasan
  • Little Owl’s Night (ebook) by Divya Srinivasan
  • National Geographic Readers: Day and Night by Shira Night
  • Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
  • https://vimeo.com/36466564 (animated Starry Night)

Appendix

  • Stop Motion Rubric
  • Script Writing Rubric
  • Day & Night Sentence Starters Sheet (for Beginner Writing)
  • Day & Night Script Writing Sheet
  • Day & Night StoryBoarding Sheet
  • Fine Art Examples of Day/ Night

Credits

Music and Movement in the Sky

Science, ELA, and Theater

Description

In this project students use music and movement to explore day and night. Students will begin by comparing and contrasting four very different styles of music. Students will apply their understanding of music vocabulary to express what they hear in the musical piece. As a class, the students will choose which pieces best represent daytime and which pieces best represent nighttime. Once each label has been placed on the musical choices, in groups, students will begin to interpret the music using dance movements. Students should be able to explain their movement choice based on movement in the day and night time.

PROJECT DOWNLOADS

Download Project

Project Rubric

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Describe and compare/ contrast musical selections
  • >Express how the music makes me feel.
  • Create movements that depict daytime and night time activity
  • Describe my movement choices and how they relate to day or night

Essential Questions

  • How can I use the performing arts to compare and contrast the daytime sky with the nighttime sky?
  • How can music and movement be used to explore activity in the daytime and nighttime?

Curriculum Standards

SKE1: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate observations about time patterns (day to night and night to day) and objectives (sun, moon, stars) in the day and night sky.

  1. Ask questions to classify objects according to those seen in the day sky, the night sky, and both.
  2. Develop a model to communicate the changes that occur in the sky during the day, as a day turns into night, during the night, and as night turns into day using pictures and words.

Arts Standards

DA:Cr2.1.kb - Express an idea, feeling, or image, through improvised movement moving alone or with a partner.

MU:Pr4.2.ka - With guidance, explore and demonstrate awareness of music contrasts (such as high/low, loud/soft, same/different) in a variety of music selected for performance.

MU:Pr4.3.ka - With guidance, demonstrate awareness of expressive qualities (such as voice quality, dynamics, and tempo) that support the creators’ expressive intent.

Content Vocabulary

  • Day
  • Night
  • Similar (similarities)
  • Different (differences)

Arts Vocabulary

  • High
  • Low
  • Soft
  • Loud
  • Tempo
  • locomotor
  • non-locomotor

Formative Assessment

  • Teacher observation
  • Active class and small group discussions

Summative Assessment

  • Performance
  • Grade K Project 2 Rubric (See Download)

Materials

Music Selections- audio only

Activating Strategy (5-10 min)

  • Class makes a circle.
  • Explain that each student will think of a movement. The movement can be locomotor (traveling through space) or non-locomotor (your feet stay in one place). Tell students they cannot have the same movement, everyone must create their own.
  • Teacher will demonstrate his/her movement for the class.
  • Once there is a clear understanding each student will present their movement, moving into the middle of the circle so that all can see.

“Pass the Dance Move” Directions:

  • Everyone will stand in a circle, play an upbeat song
  • Go around the circle, everyone will take a turn and model a dance movement
  • Everyone in the circle will echo the movement for 10- 20 seconds
  • Then the person to the right of the “it” person will start a new movement
  • The pattern repeats until everyone in the circle has shared out a dance movement
  • Teacher discusses with the class which dancer did locomotor movements and which did non-locomotor movements.

Main Activity

PROCESS:

Part 1: - (20-30mins)

  • Teacher will present 3 to 4 different types of music (no vocals). Play 2-3 minutes of each selection. After the first two pieces the teacher will allow the students to discuss what they heard, prompting music vocabulary (loud/ soft, high/ low, tempo, dark/ bright) as they go along.
  • Continue with the last few pieces of music. Allow the students to discuss what they heard using the music vocabulary.
  • Make sure you name each piece.

Classroom Tip: List the music vocabulary on the board. Assign a picture to represent each word,
Ex: loud-motorcycle, soft-feather, high- flying bird, low- groundhog underground.

  • Students will choose two of the music pieces. One to represent daytime and the other to represent nighttime. Encourage students to explain why the musical mood reminds them of daytime or nighttime.

Part 2: - (30 - 45 mins)

  • Capture a class list of adjectives (describing words) that could be used to describe the daytime and nighttime piece
  • Capture a class list of verbs (action words) that could be used to describe activities that take place during the daytime and during the nighttime. Encourage students to not just think about human activity but also animal activity in the day and night.

Part 3:

  • Place students in small groups of 4-5 students each
  • Tell each group to create a dance for daytime by selecting 4 verbs
  • Encourage them to make 2 of their verbs locomotive dance movements and 2 non-locomotive
  • Allow students time to create and practice their movements to the music selection the class previously selected.
  • Do this same sequence of events for exploring a dance for nighttime.
  • Teacher will digitally record each group’s presentation of their movement. Before presenting, explain audience etiquette and what to do before and after presenting, so that the audience is aware of the start and the finish.

Part 4:

  • Inform students that we will watch each presentation. Explain to students that they are to watch for movement that demonstrates daytime or nighttime and locomotor and non-locomotor movement.
  • Watch the videos of each group’s presentation.
  • Pause after each video to discuss what was seen (what the students noticed). Prompt them to use the vocabulary.
  • Once all videos have been watched and discussed, have students reflect together as a class.

Classroom Tips:

  • Always review the music vocabulary and content vocabulary to reinforce the student’s application of it.
  • Try to have very little input in the movement piece. Ask questions to help redirect students off track.

Reflection Questions

  • How did your daytime piece make you feel? Tell me 3 describing words.
  • How did your nighttime piece make you feel? Tell me 3 describing words.
  • Where there any similar movements you noticed in the daytime pieces? Nighttime pieces?
  • Overall what could we say about the daytime? About the nighttime?

Differentiation

Above Grade Level Students:

  • Compose a piece representing the upward motion of the rising (upward) motion and setting (downward) motion of the sun and moon just as they would a piece of music.
  • Partner for written reflection.
  • Encourage use of visual word wall.

Below Grade Level / ESL Students:

  • Encourage turn and talk, elbow partner sharing for each response opportunity.
  • Group students heterogeneously.
  • Students use images to help express feeling associated with the vocabulary of the project.
  • In a small group talk about the feelings they get from the music and how that makes their body want to move. Help them correlate these feeling (happy, sad, angry) to the movements of slow or fast, locomotor or non-locomotor.
  • Build and frequently refer to the visual word wall.

Above Grade Level:

  • Part 1- Vocabulary Melodic Contour
    • Use wording upward and downward motion
    • Connect to the rise and fall of the sun
  • Part 2- Teacher ask more in depth questions about their movement choice and push students to create more difficult movement to give a deeper understanding of the contrast between day and night or both. Teacher suggest high and low movement to use different levels of the space.
  • Part 3- Reflection questions: What type movement did you use in your piece? why? What did your music represent? How did you know? Did you enjoy the activity? why or why not?

EL Students:

  • When grouping students to create movements to represent day and night, group them heterogeneously based on English proficiency. Students with lower levels of English proficiency will benefit from their peers modeling the language.
  • When writing the reflection, allow students to work in partners.
  • Provide first language support (when necessary and available) to clarify unknown vocabulary for newcomers.

Additional Resources

Musical Compilations Links:

Appendix

  • Grade K Project 2 Rubric

Credits

My Day Drama

Science, ELA, and Theater

Description

In this project, students will write and perform a dramatization of day and night. Students will explore drama strategies such as tableau, pantomime and movement. Students will integrate both writing and the digital arts into their project. Classroom performances will take place and higher order thinking skills such as comparing and contrasting will be focal during this project. These activities also have the option to be recorded with Green Screen by Do Ink and put together in iMovie, Movie Maker or Photostory.

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Demonstrate the changes in day and night through dramatizations of daytime and nighttime activities
  • Classify the activity that coordinates with each time of the day

Essential Questions

  • How can I use drama strategies to dramatize daytime activities and nighttime activities?
  • What conclusions can we draw from our observations of the day and night sky?

Curriculum Standards

SKE1 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate observations about time patterns (day to night and night to day) and objects (sun, moon, stars) in the day and night sky.

  1. Ask questions to classify objects according to those seen in the day sky, the night sky, and both.
  2. Develop a model to communicate the changes that occur in the sky during the day, as day turns to night, during the night, and as night turns into day using pictures and words.

Arts Standards

TH:Cr2.K (a) With prompting and support, interact with peers and contribute to dramatic play or a guided drama experience (e.g. process drama, story drama, creative drama).

TH:Cr2.K (b) With prompting and support, express original ideas in dramatic play or a guided drama experience (e.g. process drama, story drama, creative drama).

TH:Re9.1.K (a) With prompting and support, actively engage with others in dramatic play or a guided drama experience (e.g. process drama, story drama, creative drama).

Content Vocabulary

  • Day
  • Night
  • Change
  • Daytime activities
  • Nighttime activities
  • Setting

Arts Vocabulary

  • Drama: a play involving scenes and actors
  • Tableau: a frozen picture
  • Levels: body shapes made with the body that are either classified as being high, mid, or low
  • Character: person or animal in a story/ play
  • Collaboration: working with a group of people, contributing to ideas and actions
  • Setting: place and time of a story

Technology Integration

Formative Assessment

  • Observation: Did students create appropriate activities for the time of day? Did students use their voices and bodies appropriately to communicate their activities?

Summative Assessment

  • Project 3 Rubric (See Downloads)

Materials

  • Props (flashlight, pillow, blankets, toothbrush, bookbag, sunglasses, balls, etc.)
  • Construction paper
  • Crayons
  • Writing Paper
  • Pencils
  • Day and Night Backdrop (See Downloads)
  • The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
  • Pictures of animal during different times of the day
  • Movie Maker, iMovie, or Photostory
  • Green Screen by Do Ink (Paid App)

Activating Strategy (5-10 min)

Read The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown.

Have students discuss things that the animals have done during the day and what starts to happen when the sky changes to night time.

Main Activity

PROCESS:

  • Students will peruse the Day and Night Backdrops presentation (See Downloads) which includes different pictures of the sky at different points of the day. Allow time for students to discuss things that could occur during that time of day. Have students place pictures of a rooster during those times of the day. Where do you think each picture of the rooster goes?
  • The teacher will introduce students to the drama strategy tableau which means “frozen picture”. Have students practice becoming frozen statues by using the following examples: become a baseball player swinging his/ her bat at a ball. Become a juggler in a circus juggling three balls. Become a rooster in the morning time. Become a rooster in the night time. Remind students that once they are frozen they cannot move. They are able to come to life once they are touched. Introduce the vocabulary associated with dramatizing their activity.

Part 1:

  • Teachers will show images of the sky at different points of the day.
  • Students will have time to discuss activities they could do during this time of the day.
  • Students will think of an activity for each part of the day that is being projected.
  • Students will each create a tableau of an activity they could do during this time of the day.
  • The teacher will select a few students to come to life and show their frozen picture in motion.
  • The class will decide if that activity is appropriate for the time of day shown on the board.

Part 2:

  • The teacher will put students into 4 groups and assign each group a picture of the sky.
  • Each group will discuss different things that could be done during this point of the day.
  • The teacher will have some props on the tables of things that could be done during the day for students to have some ideas.
  • Each student will pick an activity they could do and illustrate this activity on construction paper. Once their illustration is finished, students will complete a sentence frame with their activity. (I can ___________ when the sky looks like this.)

Part 3:

  • After their illustrating and writing is complete, students will practice their sentence with their group before they perform in front of the class.
  • Each group will record their activity using an app Green Screen by Do Ink
  • Once all groups have gone, students will discuss the different activities they noticed during the day: Which times of the day had similar activities? Which activities can only be done when the sun is out? Which activities can only be done when the moon is out?
  • All clips can be put into iMovie, Movie Maker or Photostory.

Classroom Tips:

  • Conduct Socratic Seminars so that students can discuss the findings and possible misconceptions. The Socratic Seminar is a collective inquiry strategy where there is no right or wrong answer. Students have an opportunity to voice their ideas and belief about the differences in the day and the night sky. http://www.teachertube.com/video/socratic-seminars-181636

Reflection Questions

  • Which times of the day had similar activities?
  • Which activities can only be done when the sun is out?
  • Which activities can only be done when the moon is out?

Differentiation

Below Grade Level / EL Stuents:

  • Brainstorm day/night activities using props and preview vocabulary in a small group setting.
  • Have action vocabulary and images posted for students to point at for discussion/reference.
  • Pair below level with higher-level students to practice their sentences together to encourage confidence and positive language models.
  • Part 3: Create heterogeneous groupings.

EL Students:

  • When reading The Big Red Barn, stop throughout the big to discuss the pictures.

ELP 1-2 Have students point to pictures described orally in the text. Have students state if each illustration is showing the day or night.

ELP 3-4 Have students match extended oral descriptions of content-related topics to illustrations (e.g., “The bright yellow ball is shining in the sky.”)

  • When discussing activities you can do during different times of the day:

ELP 1-2 Show students picture of day or night. Allow a peer to explain and model that they need to act out an activity you can do at that time of day. When the student acts out an activity, tell them the word in English and have them repeat the word and movement after teacher modeling. Have all students act and repeat each activity listed by peers to increase student vocabulary.

ELP 4-5 Giving reasons for content-related information when modeled (e.g., “You sleep at night because it is dark.”) Source: (Wida Can-Do Key Uses Kindergarten, pg. 8) *As all students act out their activities, write the name of the activity on the board under a header for that time of day. This will help students to connect the written and spoken language.

Above Grade Level:

  • Have students compare and contrast the day and night. Have students write about something they can do both during the day and the night.
  • Have these students discuss this: “In your opinion what would happen if the Sun or the Moon ceased to shine.” Then have students create a storyboard depicting their thought. Once completed, have each student present their opinion.

Additional Resources

Appendix

  • Project 3 Rubric
  • Day and Night Backdrops

Credits

Grade K: Day and Night

Additional Resources

Books

  • What Makes Day and Night by Franklyn M. Branley
  • Day and Night by Robin Nelson
  • Day and Night (ebook) by Teddy Newton
  • Little Owl’s Day (ebook) by Divya Srinivasan
  • Little Owl’s Night (ebook) by Divya Srinivasan
  • National Geographic Readers: Day and Night by Shira Night
  • Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle
  • The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

Websites

Extension

Additional Videos

Tableau

Module K:
Shapes

SHAPES

Shapes

Module Description

In this series of STEAM activities, students will discover the concepts of geometry through shape exploration and the creation of choreographic sequences. Another activity in this module will allow students to identify shapes by applying a steady beat in a musical setting. The third activity will engage students by discovering the concepts of geometry through shape exploration and the creation of a geometric original composition.

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Identify shapes and their attributes
  • Compare and contrast shapes and their attributes
  • Create a simple beat to describe shapes
  • Use movements to explore shapes
  • Create a choreographed sequence to represent specific shapes
  • Create an original composition using shapes inspired by the work of Paul Klee

Essential Questions

  • How can movement and dance help synthesize our understanding of math concepts?
  • How does applying steady beat help us create a musical compilation about shapes?
  • How can analyzing Paul Klee’s artwork help deepen my understanding of shapes?
  • How can I use many shapes to create a new composition representing an image?

Curriculum Standards

GA Performance Standards:

MGSEK.G.1. Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

MGSEK.G.2. Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.

MGSEK.G.5 Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.

MGSEK.G.6 Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes.

ELAGSEKRF2. Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

  1. Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

National Standards:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.1. Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.2. Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall shape

Arts Standards

GA Performance Standards:

DKFD.1. Identifies and demonstrates movement elements, skills, and terminology in dance.

DKFD.2. Understands and models dance etiquette as a classroom participant, performer, and observer.

DKCR.1. Demonstrates an understanding of creative and choreographic principles, processes, and structures.

DKCO.4. Demonstrates and understands dance as it relates to other areas of knowledge.

MKGM.4. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

  1. Improvise simple body percussion patterns.
  2. Improvise soundscapes (e.g., weather, animals, and other sound effects).

VAKMC.1. Engages in the creative process to generate and visualize ideas.

VAKMC.2. Formulates personal responses.

VAKMC.3. Selects and uses subject matter, symbols, and/or ideas to communicate meaning.

VAKCU.1. Identifies artists and offers ideas about what art is and who artists are.

VAKCU.2. Views and discusses selected artworks.

National Standards:

Standard 4. Applying and demonstrating critical and creative thinking skills in dance.

Standard 7. Making connections between dance and other disciplines.

MU:Re7.2.Ka. With guidance, demonstrate how a specific music concept (such as beat or melodic direction) is used in music.

VA:Cr1.1.K Engage in exploration and imaginative play with materials.

VA:Cr1.2.K Engage collaboratively in creative art-making in response to an artistic problem.

VA:Cr2.1.K Through experimentation, build skills in various media and approaches to art-making.

VA:Cr2.3.K Create art that represents natural and constructed environments.

Content Vocabulary

  • Circle: A shape with no sides and no vertices
  • Classify: To sort into categories or to arrange into groups by attribute
  • Compare: To decide if one number is greater than, less than, or equal to another number; can also be used to tell how shapes are alike or different
  • Cone: A solid shape with a circular base, a curved surface, and one vertex
  • Cube: A solid shape with six square faces
  • Curve: A line that is rounded
  • Curved surface: A rounded surface
  • Cylinder: A solid shape with two circular bases and a curved surface
  • Flat surface: A surface that is not curved; plane
  • Rectangle: A plane shape with 4 sides and 4 square vertices
  • Shape: The form or outline of an object (e.g., two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes)
  • Side: One of the line segments that makes a flat, two-dimensional shape
  • Solid shape: A shape that is not flat; an object that has three dimensions. (i.e., height, length, and width)
  • Sort: To group or organize according to shared attributes
  • Sphere: A solid shape with a curved surface
  • Square: A plane shape with 4 sides that are the same length and 4 square vertices
  • Three-dimensional: A solid shape that has length, width, and height
  • Triangle: A plane shape with 3 straight sides and 3 vertices
  • Two-dimensional: A plane, flat shape that has length and width
  • Vertex: A corner of a shape (plural: vertices; “corners”)

Arts Vocabulary

Dance Arts

  • Choreographer: A person who creates dances
  • Beat: Basic unit of musical time; can be heard as a regular pulse underlying music
  • Pathway: Patterns created in the air or on the floor by the body or body parts, as a dancer moves in and through space
  • Curved shape: A shape with no angles or vertices
  • Angular shape: A Shape with one or more angle
  • Locomotor: Movement that travels through space
  • Non-locomotor: Movement that does not travel through space

Music Arts

  • Beat: The pulse underlying music
  • Rhythm: The long and short sounds

Visual Arts

  • Artist: An artist's job is to create something interesting, unique or functional for use as an advertisement or product packaging, for sale or exhibition, or just to entertain. There are many types of artists and each type of art has its own job description.
  • Composition: An arrangement of elements that make up a work of art
  • Line: A mark with greater length than width. Lines can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal; straight or curved; thick or thin.
  • Shapes: Can be geometric, like squares and circles; or organic, like free-form or natural shapes. Shapes are flat and can express length and width.
  • Space: The area between and around objects. The space around objects is often called negative space; negative space has shape. Space can also refer to the feeling of depth. Real space is three-dimensional; in visual art, when we create the feeling or illusion of depth, we call it space.
  • Color: Light reflected off of objects. Color has three main characteristics: hue (the name of the color, such as red, green, blue, etc.), value (how light or dark it is), and intensity (how bright or dull it is).
  • Collage: Piecing many parts together to create a composition

Formative Assessment

  • Students’ dances must match shape criteria appropriately
  • Observations of students in the artistic process (large group, small group, rehearsing, performing)
  • Observations of students in the artistic process creating a Klee inspired composition as a whole group and individually

Summative Assessment

  • Students must perform/move to steady beat
  • Students must be able to identify the shape being performed
  • Students must be able to describe the shapes’ attributes in their movement and visual representation of the various shapes
  • Ask students to identify the shapes and the attributes in their original geometric compositions

Materials

Dance Arts:

  • CD player and music
  • Paper and pencils
  • Images of shapes

Music Arts:

  • Unpitched percussion instruments
  • Shape visuals

Visual Arts:

  • 10”-12” pieces of scrap felt and fabric cut into shapes
  • Pieces of yarn in various lengths
  • One 12”x12” piece of white paper per student
  • Glue sticks
  • Colored and patterned paper cut into various shapes

Dance Arts - Activating Strategy

Before teaching this component be sure to have student desks moved off to the side of the room in order to have an open space, and be tolerant of noise and excitement - it is “working noise”!

Dance Arts - Main Activity

  • Discuss and explore the concepts of curved and angular shapes, as well as pathways.
  • Identify shapes and analyze the lines (curved or angular) used to create them visually by drawing on the board: circle, square, oval, or triangle.
  • Divide students into groups and have them create “shape dances” in which the pathways travelled and shapes created must correspond correctly to an assigned shape.
  • Students will then perform their “shape dances” for the class.
  • During the performances, the audience will analyze and discuss the shapes and attributes presented.

Music Arts - Activating Strategy (5-10 min)

  • Have students identify shapes in the classroom (e.g., paper=rectangle).
  • Discuss objects in the “real world” that are shapes.

Music Arts - Main Activity

  • Challenge students to establish a simple 2-beat body percussion ostinato (e.g., pat-clap = 2-beat ostinato).
  • While students perform the body percussion ostinato, teach the following chant by rote. This chant becomes the A section.


  • Display visuals of various shapes (rectangle, triangle, square, trapezoid, quadrilateral, hexagon, pentagon, etc.) and have students identify each.
  • Challenge students to say the name of each shape over 2 beats. For example:

  • Decide on the rhythm for each shape. For example, rectangle could be spoken as:

or

  • Use long and short lines as needed to solidify rhythm.
  • Combine 2 shapes and speak over 4 beats. For example:

  • Combine 3 shapes and speak over 6 beats. For example:

  • Combine 4 shapes and speak over 8 beats. For example:

  • Select student(s) to create B section by arranging shapes.
  • Challenge students to speak shapes over 8 beats. This becomes the B section.
  • Speak the A section, created B section, and A section. Lead students to understanding of form (ABA).
  • Select new students to create B section.
  • Distribute unpitched percussion instruments. Have students say, then play the rhythm, of the B section (the B section becomes 16 beats long).

Visual Arts - Activating Strategy

  • Read the book The Cat and the Bird: A Children's Book Inspired by Paul Klee
  • by Géraldine Elschner using the whole book approach which encourages close looking.
  • Whole book Approach
  • Pay close attention to the way that the artist uses shapes and color.
  • Review shapes with students using the book.
    • Activity:
    • Lay out felt and fabric shapes. Tell students that they will be working as a team to create shape compositions (pictures) on the floor.
    • Call on the students one by one to place their shape into the center of the circle creating a composition. Ask them to make careful choices in placing their shape above, below, or beside another shape.
    • Once the composition is finished allow students to walk around the piece.
    • Ask students to name the piece. Ask them to describe shapes and their relationships to one another using positional words.

Visual Arts - Main Activity

  • Introduce students to the project: They will be creating Klee-inspired castles composed of shapes.
  • Give each student a handful of precut shapes made from different colors, patterns, and representing shapes in several sizes.
  • Ask them to identify and sort their shapes. These are the building blocks that will be used to create their castle.
  • Ask students to experiment arranging their shapes into a castle shape.
  • Give each student a 12”x12” piece of paper.
  • Instruct them to glue their pieces into place using a glue stick.

Reflective Questions

  • How did the dance and music components help me better understand shapes?
  • How did the art of Paul Klee and visual arts help me better understand shapes?
  • Who lives in my Castle?

Additional Resources & Extension Activities

Websites

Books

  • Shapes That Roll by Karen Nagel
  • The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns
  • Round Is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong and Grace Lin
  • Shapes in Art by Rebecca Rissman

Extensions for Visual Arts:

  • Instruct students to create another Klee inspired castle with a pencil and ruler. Paint with water colors.

Grade K:
Artsy Attributes

ARTSY ATTRIBUTES!

Grade K: Artsy Attributes

Unit Description

Students will observe and experience classifying various items by their attributes to create original visual art and also to better understand and differentiate stimuli in the world around them. Students will engage in arts integrated projects that explore the attributes color, shapes, and lines. Students will then have the opportunity to sort and classify art media to create a mandala using 3 dimensional items. They will also experience constructing a cityscape collage using geometric 2-dimensional shapes. This Artsy Attributes unit offers an opportunity for Kindergarteners to apply their knowledge of classification in a creative, dynamic, artsy way!

Unit Essential Question

How does the process of classifying by attributes help students understand the world around them?

Real World Context

We learn the skill of classifying attributes to help us better understand the world around us. Putting together things that are the same is called classification. When we classify, we are using information about what is the same and what is different. This comparing/contrasting is a higher level thinking skill. This learning happens over time. At first, students classify items based on how they look, sound, and feel. The foundation of math and reading are rooted in the process of classifying information.

Cross-Cutting Interdisciplinary Concepts

Classification
Parts of a Whole

Projects

Project 1: Community Collage
Students will be introduced to the concept of classification and attributes using the visual arts. They will specifically explore the visual arts attributes of color, shapes, and lines. Students will create a community collage together and also explore masterpieces, applying their knowledge of classification and sorting.

Project 2: Shapes All Around Us
Students will identify shapes in visual arts pieces by various artists that feature cityscapes. Students will then explore shapes using their bodies to create tableaus. Finally, students will work in small groups to take their classified attributes and create a composition of a cityscape at night.

Project 3: Magnificent Mandalas
Students will apply their knowledge and understanding of classifying attributes in this visual arts integrated project. Students will begin by exploring how we can explore visual arts media. Students will use either assorted dry pasta and beans or various colors of yarn and ribbon to sort attributes. They will then use these materials to create a composition in the form of a mandala.

Standards

Curriculum Standards

ELAGSEKL5 With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

  1. Sort common objects into categories(e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.

ELAGSEKSL5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

MGSEK.CC.5a Count to answer “how many” questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, rectangle, array or a circle.

MGSEK.MD.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.

SKP1 Students will describe objects in terms of the materials they are made of and their physical properties.

  1. Compare and sort materials of different composition (common materials include clay, cloth, paper, plastic, etc.).

Arts Standards

VAKC.1 Applies information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of artworks.

  1. Explores universal concepts (e.g., pattern, balance) and creates artworks inspired by ideas from literature, science, music, and/or math.
  2. Creates works of art inspired by universal themes (e.g., self, family, community, world).

VAKCU.2 Views and discusses selected artworks.

  1. Talks about artworks of significant artists that have recognizable subjects and themes.

VAKPR.2 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional works of art using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.

VAKPR.3 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of three-dimensional works of art (e.g., ceramics, sculpture, crafts, and mixed- media) using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.

Character Education

Components

Throughout the unit, emphasize audience behavior while others are presenting, being respectful of others and self, sharing materials, and maintaining your work space.

Concepts

  • Self-respect
  • Self-control
  • Courtesy
  • Respect for others
  • Respect for the environment
  • Kindness
  • Self-confidence
  • Diligence
  • Resourcefulness
  • Acceptance
  • Cooperation
  • Perseverance

Summative Assessments

  • Students will complete a shape sort.
  • Students will create a cityscape using the shapes they classified/sorted.
  • Students will complete a color sort (independent sort).
  • Students will create a tally chart that documents their findings when sorting their strings/ribbons.
  • Student-created mandala will serve as the summative composition.

Partnering with Fine Arts Teachers

Visual Arts Teacher:

  • Assistance with reviewing arts vocabulary and concepts associated with these projects, specifically: value, forms, lines, colors, geometric shapes, mixed media.
  • Assistance with teaching the techniques used to create collages, cityscapes, and mandalas.

Appendix (See Project Downloads)

  • Masterpieces by Paul Klee
  • Sorting Mat
  • Examples of Mandalas
  • Cityscape Examples

Credits

U.S. Department of Education
Arts in Education--Model Development and Dissemination Grants Program
Cherokee County (GA) School District and ArtsNow, Inc.
Ideas contributed and edited by:
Heather Burgess, Octavia Ferguson-Chenault, Barbara Clark, Jessica Espinoza, Richard Benjamin Ph.D., Michele McClelland, Mary Ellen Johnson, Jane Gill

Community Collage

Science, English Language Arts, and Visual Arts

Description

Students will be introduced to the concept of classification and attributes using the visual arts. They will specifically explore the visual arts attributes of color, shapes, and lines. Students will create a community collage together and also explore masterpieces, applying their knowledge of classification and sorting.

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Explain the concept of classifying and provide examples
  • Identify attributes and provide examples

Essential Questions

  • How do I identify various attributes of items in the world around me?

Curriculum Standards

ELAGSEKL5 With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

  1. Sort common objects into categories(e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.

ELAGSEKSL5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

SKP1 Students will describe objects in terms of the materials they are made of and their physical properties.

  1. Compare and sort materials of different composition (common materials include clay, cloth, paper, plastic, etc.).

Arts Standards

VAKCU.2 Views and discusses selected artworks.

  1. Talks about artworks of significant artists that have recognizable subjects and themes.

VAKPR.2 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional works of art using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.

Content Vocabulary

  • Attribute
  • Value
  • Sort
  • Classify/Organize/Group

Arts Vocabulary

  • Color
  • Line
  • Shape
  • Form
  • Collage

Technology Integration

  • Image of “Red Balloon” by Paul Klee (see Masterpieces by Paul Klee in Downloads)

Formative Assessment

  • Teacher Notes during Instruction
  • Questioning
  • Small Group Collages

Materials

“Red Balloon” by Paul Klee (see Masterpieces by Paul Klee in Downloads); variety of artwork (one for each group to use during questioning); butcher paper or heavy white thick large piece of art paper; glue sticks; variety of different textured, designed fabric swatches and/or scrapbook paper sheets; pre-cut shapes (square, triangle, circle, rectangle, hexagon); string/ribbons to create lines (zig-zag, curved, straight, angled); masking tape; legal size sheets of construction paper/poster board

Activating Strategy (5-10 min)

  • Observe “Red Balloon” by Paul Klee
  • Lead Class Discussion:
    • What do you see? (Encourage students to just express what they see. Draw attention to: What colors they see? What sort of lines they see? What shapes they see?)
    • What do you think about what you see? (Encourage students to make inferences.)
    • What do you wonder about what you see? (Encourage students to ask questions.)

Main Activity

The students will be placed into groups to discuss and identify attributes and values of artwork from various Masterpieces by Paul Klee (see Downloads).

Part 1:

  • Teacher will begin the process of creating a piece of art using a think aloud technique.
  • Teacher will add elements such as color, lines, and shapes to create an image that will be displayed in the classroom (promethean board, chart paper, etc.).
  • Initiate and reinforce the term “attribute” during think aloud.
  • Teacher will randomly select students to help complete teacher artwork adding the various elements.

Part 2:

  • Split class into 4 small groups.
  • Direct each small group to create a collage together using the pieces of fabric, paper cut-out shapes and string (to make line segments).

Reflective Strategies

  • Each group is given the opportunity to share-out their collage art piece.
  • As a class we classify the attributes.
  • We look for the lines, colors, and shapes.
  • We then go a step further to classify what types of lines, colors, and shapes we see.

Create a Class Tally Chart:

  • As a class, explore how to classify attributes by creating a tally chart (Headers: Lines, Shapes).
  • Direct students to count how many lines and shapes they have in their collage.
  • Create a class tally chart of the attributes.
  • Discuss how tally charts help us quickly see how things are organized.

Differentiation

Below Grade Level/EL Students:

  • Expose students to the visual arts vocabulary prior to the lesson.

Above Grade Level:

  • Students could classify types of shapes by counting sides and vertices and creating a tally chart documenting their results.

Credits

Shapes All Around Us

Mathematics, Science, English Language Arts, and Visual Arts

Description

Students will identify shapes in visual arts pieces by various artists that feature cityscapes. Students will then explore shapes using their bodies to create tableaus. Finally, students will work in small groups to take their classified attributes and create a composition of a cityscape at night.

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Classify items based on shape
  • Identify geometric shapes in art
  • Create a composition using geometric shapes to tell a story
  • Compare shapes and sort them into appropriate categories
  • Use my body to create shapes

Essential Questions

  • How can we use our knowledge of classifying shapes to compose a cityscape?

Curriculum Standards

ELAGSEKL5 With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

  1. Sort common objects into categories(e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.

MGSEK.CC.5a Count to answer “how many” questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, rectangle, array or a circle.

MGSEK.MD.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.

SKP1 Students will describe objects in terms of the materials they are made of and their physical properties.

  1. Compare and sort materials of different composition (common materials include clay, cloth, paper, plastic, etc.).

Arts Standards

VAKPR.2 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional works of art using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.

VAKC.1 Applies information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of artworks.

  1. Explores universal concepts (e.g., pattern, balance) and creates artworks inspired by ideas from literature, science, music, and/or math.
  2. Creates works of art inspired by universal themes (e.g., self, family, community, world).

Content Vocabulary

  • Shape (2 dimensional shapes)
  • Rectangle
  • Square
  • Semicircle
  • Circle
  • Triangle
  • Circle
  • Attributes
  • Sorting
  • Classifying

Arts Vocabulary

  • Shapes
  • Cityscape
  • Tableau
  • Body levels
  • Composition
  • Geometric
  • Collage

Use of Technology

  • Document camera to model sorting shapes and creating composition

Formative Assessment

  • Teacher observations during classifying activity
  • Group work when creating composition
  • Student tableaus depicting the various shapes

Summative Assessment

  • Student completion of a shape sort
  • Student creation of a cityscape using the shapes they classified/sorted

Materials

Cut-out shapes (triangles, squares, rectangles, circles, semicircles) of various sizes from brightly colored cardstock/construction paper; empty baskets labeled with index cards for each type of shape cut out for each group (baskets are for sorting); glue sticks; black markers to provide detail (windows, bricks on buildings); heavy weight black art paper or poster board

Activating Strategy (5-10 min)

Review Geometric shapes using Tableau:

  • Explain that a tableau (pronounced “tab-blow”) is a frozen picture, like a statue with your body.
  • Explain that we can create shapes using our body levels: high, mid, and low.
  • Today we will play a game where we create silent shapes with our bodies.
  • Place students in small groups of 4-5 students.

Silent Shapes

  • Groups must work together to create a tableau for the shape called out.
  • The group can NOT talk, so they must communicate silently.
  • Direct students to work together as a team.
  • Give them 20 seconds for each of the below silent shapes:
    • Circle
    • Square
    • Rectangle
    • Triangle
    • Semicircle
  • Ask students to be sure their group shape they made with their bodies has the correct number of corners and lines.
  • Direct groups to give other groups feedback on correct attributes of the shapes.
  • Explain that today students will create a city scape using these very same shapes.

Main Activity

Part 1:

Gallery Walk of Cityscapes: As a class, examine the Cityscape Examples by established artists (see Downloads).

Questions to ask students during Gallery Walk of images:

  • What do you see? (Making close observations.)
  • What do you notice? (Making sound inferences.)
  • What do you wonder? (What questions do you have for the artist?)
  • What shapes do you see? What do the shapes represent?
  • How does the artist represent the buildings and the sky in the cityscape?

Part 2:

  • Use thick paper/poster board to cover a large table.
  • Keep students in their groups from the tableau exercise and assign each group to a table.
  • Place a pile of cut-out shapes on each table.
  • Direct small groups to sort/classify the shapes into groups based on their attributes.
  • Observe the sorting and track student’s progress.

*Optional: students can create a group tally chart that represents the number of each shape they found in their pile.

Part 3:

  • Groups work together to create a cityscape collage.
  • Direct groups to brainstorm together by first assembling the shapes and considering what they could be.
  • Once the group is finished filling the space in the composition, they can begin gluing the shapes.

Reflective Strategies

  • At the end of the project, direct students to do a Gallery Walk of each group’s composition.
  • Students can create tally charts for the shapes they see in each cityscape.

Students can also have a class discussion about:

  • How were the shapes used to represent the buildings and the sky in the cityscape?
  • How did we use our sorting skills to complete this project?
  • Why was it important to sort first before creating our composition?

Differentiation

Below Grade Level:

  • Provide support with the classifying and lead the group in their creation of the tally chart.

Above Grade Level:

  • Give these students more geometric shapes to work with when sorting and creating their composition (ie. pentagon, hexagon, parallelogram,etc).

Additional Resources

Books:

  • Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
  • Handsprings by Douglas Florian
  • Spring-An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur
  • Weather: Poems for all Seasons by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Appendix (See Downloads)

  • Cityscape Examples

Credits

Magnificent Mandalas

Mathematics, Science, English Language Arts, and Visual Arts

Description

Students will apply their knowledge and understanding of classifying attributes in this visual arts integrated project. Students will begin by exploring how we can explore visual arts media. Students will use either assorted dry pasta and beans or various colors of yarn and ribbon to sort attributes. They will then use these materials to create a composition in the form of a mandala.

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Classify/sort arts media to make a mandala
  • Classify items based on their color
  • Classify hot and cool colors
  • Classify primary and secondary colors
  • Compare and contrast colors

Essential Questions

  • How can art media be classified to then create a composition?

Curriculum Standards

MGSEK.CC.5a Count to answer “how many” questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, rectangle, array or a circle.

ELAGSEKL5 With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

  1. Sort common objects into categories(e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.

SKP1 Students will describe objects in terms of the materials they are made of and their physical properties.

  1. Compare and sort materials of different composition (common materials include clay, cloth, paper, plastic, etc.).

MGSEK.MD.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.

Arts Standards

VAKPR.3 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of three-dimensional works of art (e.g., ceramics, sculpture, crafts, and mixed- media) using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.

VAKC.1 Applies information from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of artworks.

  1. Explores universal concepts (e.g., pattern, balance) and creates artworks inspired by ideas from literature, science, music, and/or math.
  2. Creates works of art inspired by universal themes (e.g., self, family, community, world).

Content Vocabulary

  • Classify
  • Sort
  • Attribute
  • Value
  • Tally chart
  • “How many?”
  • Different/alike

Arts Vocabulary

  • Color
  • Primary colors: red, blue, yellow
  • Secondary colors: green, purple, orange
  • Hot colors: red, yellow, orange
  • Cool colors: blue, purple, green
  • Lighter/darker
  • Lightest/darkest
  • Composition
  • Mandala

Technology Integration

  • Document camera could be used to model the sorting of items with the students
  • Document camera could be used to model creating a pattern for the composition

Formative Assessment

  • Teacher observations
  • Questioning

Summative Assessment

  • Students will complete a color sort (independent sort).
  • Students will create a tally chart that documents their findings when sorting their strings/ribbons.
  • Student-created mandala will serve as the summative composition.

Materials

Various types of dry pasta (macaroni, rigatoni, bowties, shells, etc) AND various types of dry beans (pinto beans, lima beans, etc); OR various colors, textures and lengths of yarn or ribbon; markers; paper plates; a designated sorting area (see Sorting Mat in Downloads); glue (large container); plastic bowls

Activating Strategy

Explain what a mandala is:

  • The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness. Mandalas include patterns that unite around a central point. A mandala is an integrated structure organized around a unifying center. Definition by Longchenpa.

Then share Examples of Mandalas (see Downloads) through a Gallery Walk.

Questions to ask students during Gallery Walk of images:

  • What do you see? (Making close observations.)
  • What do you notice? (Making sound inferences.)
  • What do you wonder? (What questions do you have for the artist?)
  • What steps did you have to do before you were able to design your composition?
  • How is color used in these mandalas?
  • Where do you notice patterns?

Explain that today students will be creating their own mandala.

Main Activity

Option 1: Create a mandala using dry pasta and beans

  • Students are given a bowl of different dry pasta and beans.
  • Students are directed to sort the pasta and beans into groups using the Sorting Mat (see Downloads).
  • Use the Sorting Mat to help with assessing students ability to sort the attributes.
  • A selection of classifying various attributes can be specifically assigned to differentiate instruction.
  • Students create a tally chart that classifies their materials.
  • Students compose a mandala using a pattern.
  • Urge students to create a pattern in their mandala that helps tell a story.
  • Encourage students to arrange their composition of the mandala thinking about the attributes of the beans/pasta.
  • Hand out paper plates to students.
  • Students submerge the beans/pasta into glue and then place in an arrangement on their paper plate.
  • Allow time for the beans/pasta to dry on the plate.
  • Optional: Markers can be used to color the pasta and beans to create a color pattern on the mandala.

Option 2: Create a mandala using a ball of colored yarn or ribbon

  • Students are given a ball of random lengths, colors, and textures of yarn/ribbon.
  • Students use the Sorting Mat (see Downloads) to sort their ball of yarn/ribbon by the following attributes:
    • Color
    • Primary Colors vs. Secondary Colors
    • Texture (scratchy vs. smooth)
    • Warm Colors vs. Cool Colors
    • Length
  • Use the Sorting Mat to help with assessing students ability to sort the attributes.
  • The selection of classifying various attributes can be specifically assigned to differentiate instruction.
  • Students create a tally chart individually based on one of the processes of sorting the attributes.
  • Students then create a composition of their yarn/ribbon in the form of a mandala.
  • Urge students to create a pattern in their mandala that helps tell a story.
  • Encourage students to arrange their composition of the mandala thinking about patterns of colors and attributes of the yarn/ribbon.
  • Hand out paper plates to students.
  • Students submerge each piece of yarn/ribbon into glue and then place in an arrangement on their paper plate.
  • Allow time for the yarn/ribbon to dry on the plate.
  • Optional: Students can use paint to add more color to the composition of their mandalas.

Reflective Questions

  • What were the most important things to think about when creating your tally chart?
  • How did understanding classifying help you create a pattern for your mandala?
  • Why did we sort our items before creating our composition?

Differentiation

Below Grade Level:

  • Art materials given for the mandala project could consist of only primary colors and sorting could be limited to classifying these primary colors. These students could be tasked with sorting and creating a 3-column tally chart (teacher-led small group) that tallies the results. *Student Centers could be created to reinforce the concept of attributes.

Baskets of materials to sort by attribute could also include:

  • Unifix cubes
  • Crayons
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Colored pom-poms

Above Grade Level:

  • Go deeper with classifying colors. The teacher could use the following YouTube links to introduce vocabulary for primary/secondary and warm/cool colors. The teacher could have the students sort their art materials by primary/secondary and warm/cool colors. The above-level students could also sort the yarn by length. They could make a tally chart/bar graph to represent the data they collected.

Additional Resources

YouTube Links for reinforcing concepts:

Appendix (See Downloads)

  • Sorting Mat (for classifying)
  • Examples of Mandalas

Credits

Grade K: Changes in the Season

Additional Resources

Books

Videos

Grade K:
Living & Nonliving Things

LIVING & NONLIVING THINGS

Grade K: Living & Nonliving Things

Unit Description

Combining the arts to learn about living and nonliving things will create memorable experiences. In this unit, students will experience music, movement, visual arts, and drama as they explore and discover the differences between living and nonliving things. Some of the activities the students will be participating in will include music, movement, a collage, a self-portrait and a tableau. At the conclusion of this unit, students will be scientific experts at comparing living and nonliving things!

Unit Essential Question

How can I tell the difference between living and nonliving things?
How can I use the arts to show that I know the difference between living and nonliving things?

Real World Context

As students discover the differences between living and nonliving things, they will find that different living organisms have varying needs. The students should then realize that we, as humans need to take care of the world in which we live, so that all living things can continue to exist.

Cross-Cutting Interdisciplinary Concepts

Living and Nonliving, Compare/Contrast

Projects

Project 1: Classifying Living and Nonliving Things
In this project, students will correlate musical instruments with living and nonliving things. They will classify the sounds of various instruments and then connect this concept to classifying living and nonliving things. At the end students will create a musical composition by sorting their living and nonliving things.

Project 2: Eric Carle Inspired Art
In this project, students will create a collage when assigned a living or nonliving object. They will explore the style of the illustrator Eric Carle and then work towards creating their living or nonliving thing using the same Carle stylistic artistic process. Students will add their thing to a class mural. Then opportunities will present to analyze the mural and classify living and nonliving things as parts of a whole.

Project 3: Natural Self-Portrait
In this project, students will use living and nonliving items to create a special self-portrait using found objects. They will analyze the parts of the portrait by discussing what makes something living and later take a gallery walk to observe others’ portraits. Students will analyze and discuss the similarities and differences in students in their class. This is building upon a foundational skill of comparing and contrasting things which is key in both science and writing.

Project 4: Tableaus Come to Life
In this project, students will use guided research to create a tableau that brings to life a scene of living organisms and nonliving things in a particular habitat. The scene will also include animals’ offspring. Students will use their bodies, levels, and facial expressions to communicate their frozen tableau scene.

Standards

Curriculum Standards

SKL1 Students will sort living organisms and nonliving materials into groups by observable physical attributes.

  1. Recognize the difference between living organisms and nonliving materials.
  2. Group animals according to their observable features such as appearance, size, motion, where it lives, etc. (Example: A green fog has four legs and hops. A rabbi also hops.)
  3. Group plants according to their observable features such as appearance, size, etc.

SKL2 Students will compare the similarities and differences in groups of organisms.

  1. Explain the similarities and differences in animals. (color, size, appearance, etc.)
  2. Explain the similarities and differences in plants. (color, size, appearance, etc.)
  3. Recognize the similarities and differences between a parent and a baby.
  4. Match pictures of animal parents and their offspring explaining your reasoning. (Example: dog/puppy; cat/kitten; cow/calf; duck/ducklings, etc.)
  5. Recognize that you are similar and different from other students. (senses, appearance).

Arts Standards

MKGM.6 Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

  1. Distinguish between contrasts (pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre) in various pieces of music.
  2. Describe music using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., high, low, loud, quiet, fast, slow).

MKGM.10 Moving, alone and with others, to a varied repertoire of music.

  1. Respond to contrasts and events in music with gross locomotor and non-locomotor movements.

DKFD.1 Identifies and demonstrates movement elements, skills and terminology in dance.

  1. Demonstrates the ability to perform simple movements in response to oral instruction.

VAKCU.2 Views and discusses selected artworks.

  1. Talks about artworks of significant artists that have recognizable subjects and themes.

VAKPR.2 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional works of art using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.

  1. Creates paintings with a variety of media.

TAESK.3 Acting by developing, communicating, and sustaining roles within a variety of situations and environments.

  1. Uses voice to communicate ideas and emotions.
  2. Uses body to communicate ideas and emotion.

Character Education

Components

In “Tableaus Come to Life,” students will become a wax museum for an older class to visit. The older students will tap the student in tableau to activate the younger student to perform. The older and younger students will then reflect about the performance.

Attributes

  • Empathy
  • Cooperation/collaboration
  • Inquiry/investigating
  • Teaching/leadership

Summative Assessments

  • Pre/Post Test
  • Classifying Living and Nonliving Things Rubric
  • Eric Carle Inspired Art Rubric
  • Natural Self-Portrait Rubric
  • Tableaus Come to Life Rubric

Partnering with Fine Arts Teachers

Music Teacher:

  • Pre-teaching and/or reinforcing terms such as pitch, dynamics, and tempo in “Classifying Living and Nonliving Things” project

Visual Arts Teacher:

  • Pre-teaching and/or reinforcing the works of Eric Carle in “Eric Carle Inspired Art” and “Natural Self-Portrait” projects
  • Teaching techniques, and processes of two-dimensional works of art using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills
  • Teaching how to use various tools to create texture

Dance Teacher:

  • Pre-teaching and/or reinforcing locomotor and non-locomotor movement in “Classifying Living and Nonliving Things” project

Appendix (See Project Downloads)

  • Pre/Post-Test

Credits

U.S. Department of Education
Arts in Education--Model Development and Dissemination Grants Program
Cherokee County (GA) School District and ArtsNow, Inc.
Ideas contributed and edited by:
Paige Butler, Heather Burgess, Silka Simmons, Cathy Roberts, Shannon Green, Jessica Espinoza

Musical Classification of Living and Nonliving Things

Science, Music, and Dance

Description

In this project, students will correlate musical instruments with living and nonliving things. They will classify the sounds of various instruments and then connect this concept to classifying living and nonliving things. At the end students will create a musical composition by sorting their living and nonliving things.

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Demonstrate how to characterize living and nonliving.
  • Explain contrasts in musical instruments.
  • Describe music using appropriate vocabulary.
  • Use locomotor and non-locomotor movement to classify living and nonliving things.

Essential Questions

  • How do I identify living and nonliving things?
  • How can I represent living and nonliving things using musical instruments?
  • How can I represent living and nonliving things using movements?

Curriculum Standards

SKL1 Students will sort living organisms and nonliving materials into groups by observable physical attributes.

  1. Recognize the difference between living organisms and nonliving materials.

Arts Standards

MKGM.6 Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

  1. Distinguish between contrasts (pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre) in various pieces of music.
  2. Describe music using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., high, low, loud, quiet, fast, slow).

MKGM.10 Moving, alone and with others, to a varied repertoire of music.

  1. Respond to contrasts and events in music with gross locomotor and non-locomotor movements.

DKFD.1 Identifies and demonstrates movement elements, skills and terminology in dance.

  1. Demonstrates the ability to perform simple movements in response to oral instruction.

Content Vocabulary

  • Living
  • Nonliving
  • Breath
  • Eat
  • Reproduce
  • Classify
  • Sort
  • Alike/Different
  • Compare/Contrast

Arts Vocabulary

  • Pitch: refers to the highness or lowness of a sound
  • Locomotor: refers to a movement that travels through space
  • Non-locomotor: refers to a movement that does not travel through space

Technology Integration

  • Students could record their musical compositions in audio files using various apps or PC programs such as Garage Band, Voice Memos, etc...

Formative Assessment

  • Observation of matching movement for living and nonliving sounds
  • Choice of instrument

Summative Assessment

  • Rubric for Musical Composition (See Downloads)

Materials

  • Shakers/drums, or
  • Wood instruments/metal instruments, or
  • Pitched instruments/non-pitched instruments, or
  • Instruments you can tap/instruments you shake
  • Picture cards for living and nonliving things

Activating Strategy (5-10 min)

  • Introduce or review non-locomotor movements (swaying, bending, twisting, stretching, turning, swinging) by following the leader. You can have students or teacher lead this activity. Discuss how your feet never moved during each movement. Remind or tell students these are called non-locomotor movements.
    • Optional: Use the Movement Spinners to make this vocabulary review engaging (See Downloads).
  • Introduce or review locomotor movements (skipping, running, hopping, galloping, leaping, walking, jumping) by following the leader. You can have students or teacher lead this activity. Discuss how your feet moved around the room during each movement. Remind or tell students these are called locomotor movements.
  • Read book Gertrude and Reginald by Eric Braun and Cristian Bernardini

Main Activity

Part 1:

  • Teacher will review living organisms and nonliving materials.
  • Teacher will lay out instruments and play each, one at a time, to model the sound and correct way to play.
  • Discuss with students the sound it makes and review classification of instrument (pitched/non- pitched, wood/metal, tap/shake).
  • Ask students which category of instruments would better represent living organisms and which would better represent nonliving materials.

Part 2:

  • Teacher will divide students into small groups and distribute one card per student from the Living and Nonliving Sort Cards (See Downloads)
  • Students will experiment with instruments to choose one that matches their card.
  • The group will decide the order of the cards and lay them out from left to right.
  • The group will practice their composition by playing each part for four counts/beats.
  • When ready, each group will perform their composition for the class.

Part 3:

  • Each small group will perform their composition three times for the class.
  • The first two times, the audience will listen to the performance and determine whether the sound represents a living or nonliving thing.
  • The third time, the audience will be asked to participate in the performance by representing living sounds with locomotor movements and nonliving sounds with non-locomotor movements. (Teacher can specify set movements.)
  • Teacher will observe movements to assess students understanding of living and nonliving.

Classroom Tips:

  • Allow enough room for students to move around using locomotor movements. Review how to treat instruments. Remind students of how to be a respectful audience member.

Reflection Questions

  • How did you choose the instrument that went with your card?
  • Did you change the dynamics (fast or slow) or pitch (loud or soft) of your sound to match your card?
  • Why did we use locomotor movements for living organisms and non-locomotor movements for nonliving materials?

Differentiation

Accelerated:

  • Advanced students could create a song using percussive instruments: tambourines, cow bells, bongo drums, etc. that depict living vs. nonliving organisms, being sure to include a pattern in their song.

Remedial/EL Students:

  • Part 1: Group activity; no modifications
  • Part 2: Review vocabulary cards
  • Part 3: Small group activity; no modifications
  • Reflection: Small group discussion; modeled writing with sentence frame
    • Ex. I chose my instrument because it __________.
  • Have students to demonstrate the dynamics and pitch they used.
    • Ex. The dynamics were (fast/slow). (students will circle answer) / The pitch was (high/low). (students will circle answer)
  • Listening/Speaking: Responding with gestures to the composition while practicing/Following peer-modeled oral commands while practicing composition

Additional Resources

Books

Appendix (See Downloads)

  • Musical Composition Rubric
  • Living and NonLiving Sort Cards
  • Movement Spinners

Credits

Eric Carle Inspired Art

Science, Visual Arts, and Theater

Description

In this project, students will create a collage when assigned a living or nonliving object. They will explore the style of the illustrator Eric Carle and then work towards creating their living or nonliving thing using the same Carle stylistic artistic process. Students will add their thing to a class mural. Then opportunities will present to analyze the mural and classify living and nonliving things as parts of a whole.

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Distinguish between living and nonliving things
  • Create a collage using multiple types of media
  • Construct a mural in the style of Eric Carle with my classmates

Essential Questions

  • How were you inspired by Eric Carle to create your picture?
  • How did you use Eric Carle’s artistic practices to create your living or nonliving composition?

Curriculum Standards

SKL1 Students will sort living organisms and nonliving materials into groups by observable physical attributes.

  1. Recognize the difference between living organisms and nonliving materials.
  2. Group plants according to their observable features such as appearance, size, etc.

SKL2 Students will compare the similarities and differences in groups of organisms.

  1. Explain the similarities and differences in plants.

Arts Standards

VAKCU.2 Views and discusses selected artworks.

  1. Talks about artworks of significant artists that have recognizable subjects and themes.

VAKPR.2 Understands and applies media, techniques, and processes of two-dimensional works of art using tools and materials in a safe and appropriate manner to develop skills.

  1. Creates paintings with a variety of media.

TAESK.3 Acting by developing, communicating, and sustaining roles within a variety of situations and environments.

  1. Uses voice to communicate ideas and emotions.
  2. Uses body to communicate ideas and emotion.

Content Vocabulary

  • Living
  • Nonliving
  • Alike/ Different
  • Compare/ Contrast
  • Breathe
  • Eat/ Drink
  • Reproduce

Arts Vocabulary

  • Color: An element of art with three properties 1) hue, the name of the color, e.g. red, yellow, etc. 2) intensity or the purity and strength of the color such as brightness or dullness and 3) value, or the lightness or darkness of the color.
  • Shape: An enclosed space defined by other elements of art. (Shapes may take on the appearance 2 or 3 objects.)
  • Texture: This refers to the surface quality or "feel" of an object, such as roughness, smoothness, or softness. Actual texture can be felt while simulated textures are implied by the way the artist renders areas of the picture.
  • Collage: A collage is a composition developed by gluing colored paper, photographs, magazine pictures, fabric, and other two-dimensional materials onto a flat surface.
  • Composition: The placement or arrangement of visual elements in a work of art.
  • Storytelling: Using an actor’s body, voice, mind, face and heart to express a story.
  • Diction: Using a “crisp & clear” actor voice that can be understood by everyone watching and listening.
  • Projection: Using a “big” actor voice so that you can be heard in the very back row of a space (classroom, auditorium, theatre).
  • Tempo: Speaking with a slow or fast rhythm.

Technology Integration

Formative Assessment

  • Observation: Did student use correct materials? Did student create correct living and nonliving things in their compositions? Did student place objects in correct position on mural?

Summative Assessment

  • Eric Carle Inspired Art Rubric (See Downloads)

Materials

  • Butcher paper
  • Texture paper
  • Paint
  • Index cards
  • Found materials to paint with (carpet samples, bubble wrap)
  • Paint brushes
  • Popsicle sticks (to draw in the paint)
  • Glue sticks
  • Cardstock
  • Crayons

Activating Strategy (5-10 min)

  • Read the The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
  • Direct students to act out certain parts using their bodies and voices as they are seated on the rug

Main Activity

PROCESS: Before starting this project, do an author study on Eric Carle using the Whole Book Approach and read a variety of books while discussing his techniques for using a variety of mediums and textures. Refer to Eric Carle Illustrations (see Downloads) to show and discuss as a class.

Part 1:

  • Teacher will display various pictures by Eric Carle.
  • Teacher will use questioning to identify living and nonliving parts of the pictures.
  • Teacher will show video: “Mr. Rogers visits Eric Carle”. http://pbskids.org/rogers/video_readingTogether.html
  • Teacher will take students on a virtual field trip to the Eric Carle Museum.

Part 2:

  • Teacher will explain we are creating Eric Carle inspired images and model appropriate techniques using different mediums. Use this site to learn Carle’s illustration technique: http://www.eric-carle.com/slideshow_collage.html
  • Teacher will assign each student to create a living and a nonliving object for their class collage.
  • Students will gather materials (paint, recycled materials, comb, paper, etc.) needed for their images. Students will paint their paper to create texture.
  • Allow time to dry before cutting and shaping to create image.
  • Add details using crayons, markers, colored pencils, oil/chalk pastels.

Part 3:

  • Teacher will pair students to practice acting out their image.
  • Model how to become your image using your voice and body.
  • Ground students into their character (sun, tree, etc.).
  • Ask them to sit or stand as that character and introduce themselves using a different voice.
  • Students can complete the following sentences to present their image:
    1. I am _________ (object).
    2. I am living/nonliving.
    3. I am ________ (color).
    4. My texture was created using ______.
  • Have each student come up and share their above “story” using body and voice and then place their collage onto the class mural.

Classroom Tips:

  • Review how to properly use art materials. Model how to use each tool and what texture it will create. If students choose the same textures and tools, you can assign groups to use each one.

Reflection Questions

  • How could we protect and take care of the environment we created in our mural?
  • What was your favorite tool or texture created in the mural?
  • Why is it important to know what is living and what is nonliving?

Differentiation

Accelerated:

  • Listen to a reading of The Great Kapok Tree by Lynn Cherry. This book describes animals and plants on different levels of the rain forest.
  • The students could use this information to write an essay to compare and contrast the vegetation in Georgia to the ones depicted in the book.
  • Advanced students could also create a tableau for the different living or nonliving characters depicted in The Great Kapok Tree.
  • The level of the rainforest where the character lives should be reflected in the different levels in the tableau.

Remedial/EL Students:

  • Part 1: Preview vocabulary terms in small group using picture cards on living/nonliving things.
  • Part 2: Small group collaboration on how they are going to create living/nonliving things.
  • Part 3: Pair accelerated and remedial peers together; provide a word bank.

Additional Resources

Appendix (See Downloads)

  • Eric Carle Inspired Art Rubric
  • Eric Carle Illustrations

Credits

Natural Self Portrait

Mathematics, Science, and Visual Arts

Description

In this project, students will use living and nonliving items to create a special self-portrait using found objects. They will analyze the parts of the portrait by discussing what makes something living and later take a gallery walk to observe others’ portraits. Students will analyze and discuss the similarities and differences in students in their class. This is building upon a foundational skill of comparing and contrasting things which is key in both science and writing.

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Classify living organisms and nonliving materials
  • Compare and contrast myself with my classmates
  • Create a self-portrait that includes all of my features that make me special

Essential Questions

  • What makes me the same and different from my classmates?
  • Why is it important to be able to classify living and nonliving things?

Curriculum Standards

SKL1 Students will sort living organisms and nonliving materials into groups by observable physical attributes.

  1. Recognize the difference between living organisms and nonliving materials.

SKL2 Students will compare the similarities and differences in groups of organisms.

  1. Recognize that you are similar and different from other students.

CCSS.Math.Content.K.G.A.1 Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

CCSS.Math.Content.K.MD.B.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

Arts Standards

VAKPR.1 Creates artworks based on personal experience and selected themes

  1. Combines materials in new and inventive ways to make a finished work of art.

Content Vocabulary

  • Living
  • Nonliving
  • Sort/Classify
  • Compare/Contrast

Arts Vocabulary

  • Self Portrait: a picture or photograph that you make of or about yourself.
  • Shape: an enclosed space defined by other elements of art
  • Facial Features: distinguishing elements of a face, such as an eye, nose, or lips

Technology Integration

Formative Assessment

  • Teacher observation
  • Questioning

Summative Assessment

  • Create a self-portrait and artist statement
  • Count, tally, and compare objects

Materials

  • Found materials, living and nonliving (beads, small pieces of tissue paper, colored paper clips, etc.)
  • Blocks
  • Foam shapes
  • Natural materials (leaves, sticks, acorns, flowers, berries, etc.)
  • Manipulatives (any additional small items that could be used as found objects for the project)

Activating Strategy (5-10 min)

  • Introduction to self-portraits: Teacher will show or model creating a simple self-portrait drawn of themselves.
  • Students will identify the features that make up their face/the picture.
  • Discuss the relationship between features using positional words. “My mouth is below my nose.” “My eyebrows are above my eyes.” Discuss the shapes of your features.
  • Question students on what materials were used to create the picture and if they can think of other materials that could be used.

Main Activity

Part 1: Examples of Self Portraits

  • Teacher will introduce artists who use other materials to create self-portraits.
  • Show Portrait Gallery Walk (See Downloads) for a variety of images from Vik Muniz, Arcimboldo and Vicki Rawlins.
  • Ask students what materials were used to create each image.
  • Question students on whether the materials are living or nonliving.
  • Direct students to sketch a self-portrait using pencil and paper.

Part 2: Self Portrait and Artist Statement

  • Place a variety of living and nonliving materials within reach of each student. (Students could also go on a nature walk to collect natural materials they would like to use for their portrait.) Encourage students to look at the materials and identify items that are similar in shape to the features that they are representing in their portrait. They may need to use several items to create each feature.
  • Send students back to their seat to create their portrait. Direct them to refer to their sketch if they get stuck.
  • Use sentence a starter to create an artist statement: In my composition, I used _______.

Part 3: Gallery Walk

  • Photograph each student’s portrait and display it around the room. Artist statements can be attached underneath or on the back.
  • Allow enough time for students to view all portraits.
  • As a group, ask students what was the same in all or some of the portraits. Follow up with what was different. Have students turn and talk to a partner about their compositions.
  • Task students with picking two portraits and tallying the number of living and nonliving components in the portrait. Use a T-Chart (see Downloads) to take notes on the different living and nonliving features. Identify which was used more.

Classroom Tips:

  • Hang a mirror somewhere in the classroom for students to observe their features before creating their portrait. Allow students to create their portrait at their seat and clean up their own materials after having their portrait photographed.

Reflection Questions

  • How can I use materials in new and different ways?
  • Why did you choose the materials that you did?
  • How were the living materials different/similar to the nonliving materials?
  • How would the portraits change over time, based on the materials that were used? (Lead to a discussion about how the living materials would die, change color, etc., over time and the nonliving materials would stay the same)

Differentiation

Accelerated:

  • Advanced students could write a narrative based on the point of view of both/either a living or nonliving organism. The student could read it to another student and the partner could guess if it was living or nonliving.
  • Advanced students could view self-portraits of Eric Carle, and base their self-portraits on the techniques of the artist.

Remedial/EL Students:

  • Part 1: Illustrate animal only (no writing)
  • Part 3: Verbal reminders for their animal
  • Reflection:
    • Verbal responses
    • Allow gestures

Additional Resources

Portrait Artist Examples:

Appendix (See Downloads)

  • Natural Self Portrait Rubric
  • Portrait Gallery Walk
  • T-Chart

Credits

Tableaus Come to Life

Mathematics, Science, English Language Arts, Visual Arts, and Theater

Description

In this project, students will use guided research to create a tableau that brings to life a scene of living organisms and nonliving things in a particular habitat. The scene will also include animals’ offspring. Students will use their bodies, levels, and facial expressions to communicate their frozen tableau scene.

Learning Targets

“I Can…”

  • Complete a shared research project
  • Create a tableau to represent living and nonliving things
  • Identify similarities and differences among animals and their babies

Essential Questions

  • How can I work with others to conduct research?
  • Why is it important for me to identify similarities and differences among animals and their young?
  • How can I use my body to bring an image to life?

Curriculum Standards

SKL2 Students will compare the similarities and differences in groups of organisms.

  1. Explain the similarities and differences in animals. (color, size, appearance, etc.)
  2. Recognizes the similarities and differences between a parent and a baby.
  3. Match pictures of animal parents and their offspring explaining your reasoning. (Example: dog/puppy; cat/kitten; cow/calf; duck/duckling, etc.)

ELAGSEKW5 With guidance and supportfrom adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

ELAGSEKW6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of tools to produce and publish writing, including digital tools in collaboration with peers.

ELAGSEKW7 With guidance and support, participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).

ELAGSEKW2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

ELAGSEKSL6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

ELAGSEKL1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  1. Print many upper- and lowercase letters.
  2. Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.

ELAGSEKL2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  1. Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.
  2. Recognize and name end punctuation.

Arts Standards

TAESK.2 Developing scripts through improvisation and other theatrical methods.

  1. write/pre-play event; preparing to write/dramatize; writing/dramatizing story; evaluation, reflection, editing; rewrite/replay dramatization.

TAESK.3 Acting by developing, communicating, and sustaining roles within a variety of situations and environments.

  1. Uses voice to communicate ideas and emotions.
  2. Uses body to communicate ideas and emotions.

TAESK.4 Designing and executing artistic and technical elements of theatre.

  1. Identifies and uses personal and partner space; playing space and audience space.
  2. Uses sound in dramatizations.

TAESK.5 Directing by conceptualizing, organizing, and conducting rehearsals for performance.

  1. Listens to others with respect and courtesy.

TAESK.11 Engaging actively and appropriately as an audience member in theatre or other media experiences.

  1. Participates as audience.
  2. Identifies the basic elements of theatre etiquette.

Content Vocabulary

  • Character
  • Setting
  • Habitat
  • Living
  • Nonliving
  • Adult
  • Baby (offspring)
  • Reproduce
  • Similarities
  • Differences

Arts Vocabulary

  • Tableau: frozen, silent picture depicting a story or moment in time
  • Character: an actor or actress in a specific role
  • Collaboration: two or more people working together in a joint intellectual effort
  • Concentration: the ability of the actor/actress to be “in” character-that is, to be like the character s/he is portraying - in dialogue, attitude, carriage, gait, etc.
  • Diction: using a “crisp and clear” actor voice that can be understood by everyone watching and listening
  • Gesture: expressive movement of the body or limbs
  • Facial Expression: using your face to show emotion
  • Projection: using a “big” actor voice so that you can be heard in the very back row of a space (classroom, auditorium, theatre)

Technology Integration

Formative Assessment

  • Questioning students during activities
  • Teacher observations
  • Monitoring student-led research

Summative Assessment

  • Research paper
  • Tableaus Come to Life Rubric (See Downloads)
  • Presentation of the tableau

Materials

  • Access to a computer
  • Frayer Model Graphic Organizer (See Downloads)
  • Shared Research Sheet (See Downloads)
  • Crayons and colored pencils

Activating Strategy (5-10 min)

  • Explain how we create tableaus or “frozen pictures”.
  • Review how to select a body level (low, mid, high) and how to express a facial expression.
  • Ask students how their face and body would look if they were happy, mad, sad, scared, surprised, etc.
  • After students have practiced creating emotions with their bodies and faces, give them a variety of living and nonliving items to practice acting out. Ex: tiny mouse, big bear, a flower about to grow, a sneaker.
  • Direct students to freeze in the position they think best represents their item.

Main Activity

Part 1:

  • Students will be divided into groups and given an animal (or allowed to choose an animal that interests them) to research on www.gopebble.com
  • If you do not have access to the subscribed program gopebble.com, you could use any other kid-friendly database for your research. Ex: National Geographic Kids or Scholastic
  • Groups will complete a Frayer Model Graphic Organizer (see Downloads) while researching their animals.
  • Students will illustrate and/or write short answer responses to the provided questions on the Frayer Model Graphic Organizer.
  • Students will take the information they have found on their animal and write a shared research paper.
    • If additional guidance is needed, use the Shared Research Sheet (see Downloads).

Part 2:

  • Teacher will help each group create a tableau from the research.
  • Each student will be given a specific character or setting to act out with their bodies.
  • Each student will have to create a sentence to bring their character or setting to life.
    • This should be in riddle form. For example the student would say: “I am big. I have tusks. I live in the Grasslands. What am I?”

Part 3:

  • After students have created and practiced their tableaus they will perform their tableaus for an older grade level.
  • Students will make a wax museum for an older grade level to observe and interact with. The older grade level students will walk around the wax museum stopping at each station.
  • The older student will tap each Kindergartener in the scene (one at a time). Once the Kindergartener is tapped, they will share their riddle from Part 2 (EX: “I am big. I have tusks. I live in the Grasslands. What am I?”).
  • While the older grade level student is observing each station they must complete following questions:
    1. I like _________.
    2. I wonder _________.
    3. I think you are a _________.
  • After the Wax Museum is complete the Kindergarteners will reveal to the older grade level students what they were portraying in their tableau. The two grade levels will do partner talks to discuss the similarities between the animals and plants that portrayed in the tableaus.

Classroom Tips:

  • Review what a respectful audience looks like. Review group procedures.

Reflection Questions

  • How is my living thing like your living thing and how is my living thing different from yours?
  • How does my living thing move (fly, crawl, hop, slither, walk, etc)?
  • Describe your body shape that you picked to portray your living thing (body level, relationship to the other).
  • Why did you make these particular acting choices in your tableau?

Differentiation

Accelerated:

  • Advanced students could read the story “Are you my Mother?” by PD Eastman.
  • Students could use this information to write a piece with illustrations from the point of view of non-traditional parent/child animals (such as penguins and seahorses). http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0768562.html

Remedial Students:

  • Ask students to create a drawing of their tableau.
  • This can be done before they create their tableau to help with their brainstorming.
  • It also could be done at the end to assess their understanding of their tableau.
  • Also consider mixed levels groupings so that the accelerated students can assist the remedial students.

EL Students:

  • When grouping students, do it with mixed level groupings. This will give the opportunity for a higher level student to help provide guidance and support to an EL student.
  • Also, consider introducing the key vocabulary that will be included in their research before they actually are reading through the research. This pre-work can help EL students get familiar with the content vocabulary.

Additional Resources

  • http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0768562.html
  • www.pebblego.com
  • www.brainpopjr.com
  • Appendix (See Downloads)

    • Frayer Model Graphic Organizer
    • Shared Research Sheet (if needed)
    • Tableaus Come to Life Rubric

    Credits

    Grade K: Living & Nonliving Things

    Additional Resources

    Books

    • The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle (and other Eric Carle books)
    • Gertrude and Reginald by Eric Braun

    Websites

    Virtual Fieldtrips

    • Eric Carle Museum

    Additional Videos

    Tableau